#Open a Live Trading Account

[stockexperttrading]

Delving into the intricacies of trading, the blog provides a thorough examination of different trading strategies, spotlighting both day trading and swing trading. It further dissects crucial analysis methods, namely technical and fundamental analysis. The narrative underscores the critical role of aligning chosen strategies with individual goals and the guidance that Funded Traders Global can provide in this regard.

[alpinelogy]

so i have arrived at - as the youth may call it - stupid asf situation. you see my printer thought they were being cool (they were <3) and sent me dupes if the small 5 x 7 graphics. which is cool except now i have nine copies of the same graphic amongst other slightly silly things, so i might run in stock leftover sales in the next month or two

[togrowoldinv]

Instagram

Natasha Romanoff x Female Reader

You find out about Natasha’s secret Instagram while she’s away on a mission

Note: Inspired by the romanoffthereal account Scarlett is definitely running lol. Enjoy this one!

Natasha Masterlist 1, Natasha Masterlist 2, Natasha Masterlist 3, Main Masterlist

When you walk into the living room, you hear your oldest kids giggling. You smile at the sound, but your curiosity is piqued when you notice their attention is on a phone.

“What’s up?” You ask them. Ali drops her phone into her lap and they all turn to you. You raise a brow.

“Hi Mom,” she says. Her voice is sincere but her eyes don’t quite meet yours.

“Do I even want to know?” You ask, assuming it was something the kids wouldn’t want to spend time explaining why it’s funny.

The boys stand up as if on cue and excuse themselves with a little side hug to you. They’re getting older, but still remain sweet.

“Just ask Mama,” Ali says before running off too.

You shake your head in confusion. Why would Natasha know what they’re laughing at? She’s not even in town. A mission she didn’t want to go on pulled her away for a couple of weeks.

The rest of the day is spent trying to wrangle all of the kids. You don’t find anymore sneaky laughter sessions. Settling in for the night, you lie down and get on your phone.

That’s when you see your friend sent you a post on Instagram. It’s been a while since you opened the app, finding yourself way too busy with kids and with Nat not wanting too much of the family information online.

You open the message to see a picture of a Black Widow toy along with other Avengers. Before you even read the caption of the post, you read the message from your friend.

Is this your wife?

You furrow your brow in confusion. Clicking on the photo, you see the post is written in first person from an account named romanoffthereal.

Surely not, you type in response.

You examine the photo further and wonder if it really could be her. But surely she would’ve told you she made a secret Instagram. Right?

You try to sleep, but the cold spot in the bed next to you doesn’t help. You miss Natasha. Glancing at the clock, you decide maybe she’s getting up across the world.

Your contact photo of Nat always makes you smile. A silly selfie she took one day on your phone when you left it on the table. You click on it and wait for your wife’s voice to ring through.

Unfortunately she never picks up. You sigh and put your phone back on the nightstand. Sleep never comes around and soon it’s 5am.

You get up and start on breakfast for the kids. It’s a never ending process, but you wouldn’t trade it for anything. The life you and Natasha have made is absolutely perfect.

As if she knows you’re thinking of her, Natasha finally calls you back.

“Hey,” you answer.

“Hi sweetheart,” she replies. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“You sound upset. Plus, you called me in the middle of the night,” Natasha explains.

“You knew I was upset by me saying one word?”

“I’m a spy, baby,” she jokes. “And we’ve been married forever now. I have good news though.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“One second,” she says.

You wait for her to reply over the phone, but instead you’re met with the front door opening. Natasha walks in with a grin on her face.

Whatever fruit you were cutting is abandoned. You run over to her and hug her tight.

“It’s okay,” Nat says. “I’m back.”

“I missed you.”

“I missed you more,” Nat replies.

You kiss her lips and hold her tight once again. Soon, the kids wake up and everyone is so happy to see Nat.

By dinner time, she’s soaked up all of the love she can take. Nat escapes to some solitude to decompress from the mission.

You take her a plate of food to your bedroom. She’s sitting on the bed on her phone.

“So, I have a question,” you say. She narrows her eyes. “And I expect you’ll have an answer.”

“Okay,” she says, but comes out more like a question.

“Do you have an Instagram you didn’t tell me about?”

Natasha smirks. She’s been caught.

“Which one of those kids ratted on me?” She asks.

“Wait, it’s true?!”

“It was for fun,” Nat shrugs. “For the kids to laugh at. So who told you? Was it Jack? He never could lie to you.”

“It was not the kids actually,” you say. “Although, I did see them all laughing at their phone’s yesterday and Ali said to ask you why.”

Natasha chuckles and smiles softly at the fact that she made the kids laugh. She prides herself on being humorous, even in a nerdy way.

“My friend sent me the post though,” you say. Nat doesn’t smile at that.

“Shit, I thought I made it private.”

“No, baby. You know for a super spy, you’re really bad at using media,” you tease her.

“I’ll remember you said that,” Nat says, feigning seriousness.

You laugh and lean into her. Nat wraps you in a hug so tight you can barely breathe.

“I’ll delete it,” Nat says after a minute.

“The kids like it. Just have them help you make it private,” you suggest.

“Deal.” A minute later she adds, “I love you.”

“I love you more,” you reply.

“Mhm,” she hums.

You pull away from her just enough to look in her eye. She kisses you deeply. Her want for you is evident in her touch.

“The kids occupied?” She asks.

“I turned on a movie,” you say.

“Perfect.”

The two of you don’t waste a second getting reacquainted with each other. Life with her is perfect with her silly Instagram and all.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Second Time's The Charm III

Alexia Putellas x Reader

Summary: You spoil your wife

You married the love of your life at eighteen years old.

It got you kicked out of the house but you didn't regret it.

You moved into Eli's house at eighteen to live in bliss with Alexia. You were studying. She was playing football.

Neither of you earnt that much but you had big dreams both separate and together.

Alexia used to hold you at night, curled up together in her childhood as she whispered about all the trips she wanted to take together, about all the things she wanted to buy and the big house she wanted to build for you.

It was a pipe dream though, at least it was at the time.

You didn't have the funds of big holidays or fancy watches or a piece of land big enough for a family.

You moved away for money. Good money. You moved back for money as well. Even better money.

Alexia made good money now too.

Suddenly you both had the funds you wanted when you were eighteen years old.

You had access to money eighteen year old you couldn't even dream of and it was just rotting away in your bank.

You'd been such a good girl with your funds for years now that you thought you were entitled to going on a little spending frenzy for a bit.

So, the first thing you did was buy Alexia that crazy expensive watch she had wanted when she was younger.

You didn't even think about it.

You just bought it, hopping onto the kitchen counters as she attempted to cook. You held the box out of her.

She frowned. "But we already traded engagement rings?"

You laughed, unable to stop yourself from leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her lips. "It's not a ring, Ale. Open it and see."

She nearly dropped it in the pan in shock.

"Is this-?"

"It is."

"But how? We don't have-"

"Alexia," You said," I don't know if you've noticed but we're stupidly rich now."

"But-"

"Put it on, Ale. I wanted to see my beautiful wife wear a beautiful watch."

Her cheeks flushed bright red as she hastened to do what you said, fumbling slightly at the buckle until you helped her.

"How do I look?"

"Beautiful, Ale. So beautiful!"

"Thank you, amor!" She launched herself towards you, picking you up and spinning you around.

You laughed joyously, wrapping your legs around her waist as she spun you. Kisses were littered all over your face as she held you.

The amount in your bank account was extortionate as you looked at your banking app, brow furrowed. You hadn't realised you had saved so much over the years.

There were so many digits that you couldn't even understand where they had all come from.

Enough money for you to take at least a few years off from working (not that you would). Enough money to pay for that luxury trip to the Maldives that eighteen year old Alexia had planned in her head once upon a time.

"Where are we going?"

Alexia was like an excited kid on the way to the airport and even more excited as she pushed the luggage cart through check in. You rolled your eyes fondly at her, knowing if she were a puppy then her tail would be wagging.

"Be patient, Alexia," You replied," We're nearly there. We'll send off the bags, go through security and then we'll go and find our gate."

"But I want to know now! Please, amor! Please, please, please!"

"Learn some patience Alexia," You laughed.

"If I guess correctly, will you tell me? Please?"

"You won't guess but alright."

Alexia was so distracted with guessing that she hadn't even noticed the big board displaying your gate as the one going to the Maldives.

Your wife is a bit of a fool sometimes but you still loved her, even if she wasn't the most perceptive person in the world.

"The Maldives?" She repeated with a little frown," But you said we couldn't afford it."

"I said that when we were eighteen, Alexia," You laughed," Besides, didn't you say it was the perfect honeymoon destination?"

"But it can't be our honeymoon. We've been married for years."

"Ale," You said, cradling her face," We never had a honeymoon. So what if this one is a little late?"

One time, when you and Alexia were crammed in her tiny bed, she spoke to you about building a house. Somewhere on the outskirts of the city but still close enough to drive to training.

Somewhere big enough to to have dogs and raise children. Somewhere to host garden parties and to celebrate your children's birthdays. Somewhere large enough that you and Alexia could each have your own offices.

It was too expensive back then to think about renting your own place, let alone buying some land to build one but now you had money.

You'd spoken to architects and contractors. You had found a piece of land big enough. You had already asked permission from the council to build on it.

The only thing left now was to show Alexia.

"Are we going on a date?" She was practically skipping at your side as you lead her from the car. "Because we've driven out of town. Is there some fancy restaurant nearby?"

It was in the perfect place. Out of the city enough to have peace and quiet but close enough to the stadium and training centre. Close enough to good schools for children to attend.

"Amor," She said when you came to a stop in front of a big patch of land," I don't understand. What am I looking at?"

You unfurled your roll of paper, holding it up high so Alexia could see the design for the outside of the house.

You pointed at one of the windows.

"Our room," You said," Big enough to have the queen's size bed you've always wanted with an en-suite and closet space. That would be our first kid's room. We can decorate it how we want. Two bathrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs."

"Amor?"

"Another set of bedrooms and an attic. Two offices, one for each of us. A spare room for visitors."

"I-"

"Open plan lounge and kitchen and then a second living room, probably for the dogs. A patio out into the garden for your practices."

"Amor...I don't understand."

"I'm going to build you the house you wanted when we were kids, Alexia," You said," Here. On this patch of land."

Tears welled in Alexia's eyes as she looked out at the open space.

"Really?"

You nodded. "Really."

"But-But why?"

"Why?" You couldn't help but laugh, cradling Alexia's cheeks in your hands. "Because you deserve everything, my love."

Something in Alexia's expression changed when you said that and she pulled you closer. "Everything?"

You nodded. "Everything and anything."

She whispered in your ear and you bit at your lip.

"Even that?"

You looked into her eyes, cheeks turning red. "Especially that."

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for scamming my ex out of an extremely valuable virtual pet?

🐓🥤to recognize. This might be a very long post with a lot of added context for a very niche hobby and a very small actual conflict.

I religiously play a virtual pet site called Chicken Smoothie. It's a pretty old site as far as virtual pet games go, starting back in 2008, so there is a pretty solid established site economy. Just for some context, Every pet on the site has a rarity, ranging from "OMG So Common" to "OMG So Rare", being the most common and most rare respectively. But there are rarities within those rarities, where some OMGSRs can be worth more than others based on species and demand. For example, an OMGSR dog from 2008 will be worth more than an OMGSR rat from 2008 despite being the same highest rarity and year, because people prefer the dogs over rats. These pets can get extremely valuable. You can't sell them for real money (according to site rules, but of course there's a black market), but the site has its own virtual currency you can buy (with real money) and trade for called Chicken Dollars, and you can also trade a valuable pet for other valuable pets. It gets very complicated, with the community coming up with its own set of value terms each pet can have. I'm not getting into specifics there, that's not important.

Every year, on December 18th, CS has gift boxes you can adopt from. These gift boxes can contain any rare pet from any previous year, including special "Unreleased pets" that you can only get from these Dec 18th boxes, with a very slim chance. These unreleased pets are some of the most valuable and rarest in the game.

Recently, I had seen my ex posting on the forums. I didn't know he had an account, he had made it within this year, long after I got the fuck away from him, and I only knew it was him because he uses the same username everywhere. This person had groomed me, physically abused me when we were together (we no longer live anywhere near each other, thankfully) and has always been emotionally manipulative. He does not know I play, and he wouldn't recognize my account as me. I took a note of his account and left it be for a while, until December 18th hit and I took a peek at what he had got. And what he got was one of the new Unreleased pets, which currently at the time of writing this only looks like a box of cereal. (Most pets on the site have growth stages.) And even better, all his groups were open for trade, so I took a chance and sent an extremely terrible trade. I told him that this pet would only be a recent rare, and I offered him a "Very Rare" rarity (but not very valuable) pet from 2018, telling him I was overpaying. (In the CS community, this is known as Ninjaing, and it's Not A Good Thing To Do). I didn't expect him to accept it, I at least thought he'd be smart enough to ask in the trade advice thread that is literally pinned on the home page for December 18th, but he didn't. He took my word for it and accepted the trade, and now I own an unreleased pet that will eventually end up as an OMGSR.

What I did was not a bannable offence. He will not get his unreleased pet back. The CS mods are laughable at worst, incompetent at best, and don't do anything to stop scamming. They have an "eh, sucks to be you, sorry, be smarter next time" mentality when people get scammed (Which is insane because there are literal single digit aged children allowed on this site!!!)

After taking a bit to think about it, I do feel a bit guilty because I really would not do this in any other circumstances. I hate scamming. I did what I did out of anger and contempt, and I do feel a bit guilty because in essence, I scammed a new player that didn't have much else and didn't know any better.

I'm still keeping that unreleased cereal box no matter what though

What are these acronyms?

[pit-and-the-pen]

I Can Do It With a Broken Heart (Pt 2 to unrequited love)

A/n: HERE IT IS BESTIES!!! The official Pt 2 to unrequited love! I know the poll is still live but I’m impatient. So to make sure I’m still taking everyone’s votes into account there will be an alternate ending that should be posted right after this.

Read the Alt ending here, it's pretty similar in places

Read Pt 3 here

I'm still absolutely blown away by how well-received the first part was. This is going to be an ongoing series, all could be read individually but the "background" will be these two fics.

Warnings: Angst, Cursing, reader suffers from depressed thoughts

WC: ~3.4k

divder by @cafekitsune

The next morning I was in Rhys office. He barely even looked up from the paper strewn over his desk before I spoke. 

“I’m going back home.” 

He sighed, leaning back into his chair. His eyes raked over me, “Does this have anything to do with why Azriel was so huffy this morning?” His eyebrow raised and I felt the anger I’d been trying to quell since last night rise its head up like a sleeping dragon.

“Fuck off. Let him be mad if he wants to be mad.” I snapped. 

“Mad isn’t exactly how I would put it,” He paused looking at me. “What happened?” The High Lord questioned. I sighed not having the strength to recount the events from last night. 

“Nothing but the inevitable.” he frowned at my non-answer but didn’t press any harder. 

“I’ll miss you. We all will.” He said finally. I nodded. 

“You all should visit.” Not an I’ll visit. No. If I could avoid it I would never step foot into this miserable court ever again. 

I was gone by mid-morning. Mor had helped me winnow the things I wanted to take with me. What they did with the rest wasn’t any of my concern. Rhys or Feyre had bought it all for me anyways, let them decide what to do with their money. 

Once I had gotten settled into my room, I hugged Mor goodbye and thanked her for her help. She just gave me a tighter hug and told me she would visit soon. 

It was two weeks before I could see Helion.Two weeks of settling back into my court that I loved so dearly.  He was visiting Dawn court for some trade agreement that needed to be signed. I came by every day, asking if he’d returned you. His second would just silently shake her head at me. And I would stomp back to my room like an angry babe. 

Two weeks of checking before I finally saw her nod her head and I had to stop myself from running into Helions office. I had the control to at least knock on the door but not much else. I quickly shut the door behind me as he called me in. 

“Sunbeam!” He called out when saw my face. “I had hoped the rumors of you moving back home were true.” He walked around the desk and gave me a brisk hug. Very out of character for him. 

“You’re not an easy man to schedule an appointment with, Helion.” I smiled warmly at the High Lord of my court. 

“If you wanted a piece of me, you only had to say the words and I would have come running darling.” There's the flirt I remember. I thought, rolling my eyes.

“But judging by your urgency in requesting a meeting that my second expressed to me, I’m going to assume that’s not what you wanted to see me for.”

My smile dropped as I braced myself for the question I needed to ask him.

“I need you to break a mating bond”

His mouth fell open. For once in my life, Helion was speechless. “I don’t know if I can even do that. Are you sure that’s what you want?” His eyes saw right through me. I threw my head back, a sad laugh bubbling past my lips. 

“Yes. No. Gods I don’t know. I just don’t want it to hurt like this forever.” I felt treacherous tears starting to fall down my face. Helion grabbed my arms gently before I could wipe them away. 

“I know you well enough to know that you don’t run away from hard things.” He held me against his chest as I really started to sob. 

“Helion. Every second that I’m away from him it kills me. I’m over here dying inside over some male who only ever saw me as a second option.” 

“Then he’s an idiot. But the mother still saw fit to make you two mates. Give it some more thought, you’re clearly still not fully decided. I’ll do some research to see if it’s even possible and if you still want to, I’ll be here to help.” I nodded my thanks into his shirt. He takes my head between his hands and uses his thumbs to wipe the tears still streaking down my face. He gives me a gentle kiss on the top of my head before I walk out of the room. 

I sat on the decision for a month. A month of volleying back and forth. Weighting the pros and cons of my choice. I had started doing my own research through the tomes in the library I had access to. My eyes widened as I finally found the information I needed. 

Picking up the book I all but sprinted to Helion’s office. I didn't bother knocking as I pushed past the door. Helion looked up from his desk and raised an eyebrow at me. 

Panting, I showed him the page in the book. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my whole life.” I promised him. He still looked skeptical but walked around to where I stood anyway. 

“I can’t say this is going to be pleasant.” He said wearily as I laid down on the couch in his study. “I’ve never heard of anyone doing this. I’ve seen rejection but this is cutting off the magic at the source.”

I looked into the males eyes, eyes I had known my whole life.

“Please. Nothing can hurt more than this already does.” Sympathy washed over his face and he leaned over me, placing a hand to each of my temples. It felt like the worst headache I had ever had in my life. My head was being split open and I heard the whimper leave my mouth. The pressure of his hands lifted slightly and I fought to get out the words. “I’m okay. Keep going.” I couldn’t open my eyes to see his face but his hands didn’t move. The pounding broke to a burning heat. I could feel the moment it snapped, I could almost picture the scissors snipping that tight string that connected us. One last fleeting rush of pure pain pushed through the bond. And then it was gone. My head was still pounding, I opened my eyes and saw Helion panted above me. 

“How do you feel?” He asked, helping me into a sitting position. 

“Like I have one hell of a hangover.” I pressed a hand to the bridge of my nose. Like I could squeeze out the uncomfortable feeling. “But also lighter.” My free hand going to my chest. It would take some time to adjust to this new feeling. But I could not stop the smile that spread over my face. Before Helion could say anything else, I reached up to wrap my arms around his neck.

“I can’t thank you enough.” I said into his neck. He gave a tight laugh and hugged me back. 

“You should go sleep this off. Please tell me if any of the pain gets worse.” He held my face between his hands and I nodded as much as I could. I all but floated back to my room. 

I fell into a familiar routine back in the Day Court. I took up my old job as a researcher. My days were spent surrounded by the massive libraries of my home court. People would come to us with questions and it was our job to use the knowledge at our disposal to find them answers. It kept me busy at the very least, but I did have to admit that I love doing it. I felt more useful here than I ever had at the Night Court. Pangs of sadness would rip through me when someone snarked in a way that made me think of Cassian. When someone would smirk and I could only picture Rhysand standing in front of me as he beat me in chess. The art was so beautiful that I longed to show Feyre if only to see that twinkle in eye as she dissected the colors and shading used. 

I smiled as the pang in my chest at the thought of Azriel held no pain. It had taken me some time to get used to the emptiness in my chest, I had grown so used to the hollow feeling of the unreturned bond but this emptiness wasn’t pain but instead it was like a weight had been taken off my chest. 

Someone calling my name pulled me from my musing. One of the messengers, Dia, smiled brightly up at me. “Hey sunbeam. Helion asked me to deliver this to you.” I took the golden envelope from her. I thanked her and she turned around, leaving me back to my books. 

I slid my finger under the seal and pulled out the letter. He was flirty even in a letter. He had requested that I accompany him to the latest ball he was hosting. Helion, ever the charmer, even placed boxes for me to check yes or no. I giggled to myself at the juvenile nature of it, but checked yes with the quill sitting next to me. 

The ball was just a few days away and I was so excited as dress after dress were brought into my room for me to try on. The one that ended up catching my eye was a floor length glossimer dress, such a pale golden color it looked almost like sunlight itself. The bottom was dyed a light pink color that flowed into it seamlessly. It took my breath away as I smoothed out the light fabric. It fit like a glove and I knew instantly this was the dress I had to wear. 

My reflection looked like a stranger. My hair was pinned to one side, sweeping down over my shoulder and my back. A golden tiara was woven into loose curls. Long golden chandelier earrings studded with diamonds almost touched my shoulders. The sun had created a sultry blush on the high points of my cheeks. I looked happier than I had in years. I sensed Helion's presence in my room and caught his eyes in the floor length mirror. 

He let out a low whistle and I blushed, adjusting my tiara. I walked over to him and he held out his hand for me, twirling me around dramatically when I took it. “No one will be able to take their eyes off of you, Sunbeam.” His eyes hungirly raked over me, “If you ever reconsider my offer. I would take you to bed in a heartbeat. Just say the words.” I pushed his shoulder, I didn’t doubt his words. 

“Keep your pants on Helion. We have a ball to get to.” 

“I’m High Lord. I can be late.” His pupils had dilated and I rolled my eyes, pushing him out the door before I linked my arm into his. 

The ball was as lavish as I had expected. There was much to celebrate and this was mostly to welcome the new High Lord. Eris. Beron had finally died a few months back and Eris had officially stepped into the role with grace. The autumn court once known for its cruelty seemed to be taking a new direction and as I talked to nobility from the court, it was for the better. I had gotten to know him over the years, his frequent visits to the Night Court, plus a few flirty exchanges that I always brushed off, while he was helping us during the war softened me to him. Learning the true events of that night with Mor. 

I locked eyes with Eris across the room. He had been heartbreakingly handsome when he was just High Fae but as a High Lord? His hair had grown slightly longer, just touching his shoulders. Dressed in a deep maroon suit that showed off every single one of his muscles. The permanent scowl that had been etched into his face had been replaced with a smile that radiated comfort. My feet seemed to move without deciding to. Eris kept his eyes locked onto mine as I got closer. My cheeks heated up under his intense stare. 

“Hi little sunbeam,” Honeyed words wrapped around me. “Seems like you’re no longer hiding in the shadows.” He held out his hand, eyes flickering to the dance floor. I smiled up at him and gently placed my hand in his. 

His touch was firm and the warmth of his power radiated off of him. He clutched my waist, pulling me flush to his front. I felt every plane of his toned body pressed against me and goosebumps broke out across my skin having nothing to do with the temperature in the room. The two of us gilded across the floor. I could feel the eyes of the room on us but I only had eyes for the male in front of me. 

“If I had known you danced this good, I would have pulled you out of that miserable court a long time ago.” He spoke into the shell of my ear.  “I’ll never understand what the Shadowslinger was thinking, even I could smell the mating bond on you. Plus, one look at me with those beautiful doe eyes and I would have been putty in your hands.” He nipped at my earlobe and I felt it deep in my stomach. 

“Well good thing he’s not my mate anymore.” I whispered back to him, voice breathy. He responded with a kiss to my neck. All of a sudden I felt his warmth disappear. Before I could even process what had happened, I was standing half ways across the room. Eris just smirked, eyes twinkling with mischief. 

“Stand down, you overgrown bat.” The High Lord said and that’s when I heard the growl from my side, caught a glimpse of wings and sapphire blue. Before another word could leave my mouth, I was being pulled out of the ballroom and outside to the balcony. 

I thrashed against Azriel’s grip on my arm. His hand wrapped around my wrist tight enough to bruise. 

“What the hel was that?” He yelled at me, finally letting go of my wrist.

“You had no right!” I screeched at him. Anger seethed through me. I felt my palms heat up from the light trying to escape from them. He went to grab my arm and I ripped it back from his reach. “Don’t you fucking dare.” 

“Please.” Was all he said and suddenly it was like that night all over again. Me pouring my heart out and all he could say was please. 

“Please what, Azriel? Is that all you know how to do, beg and plead. For what? Was breaking my heart once not enough for you.” 

“Gods. What do you want me to say?” He ran his hands through his hair. He looked like he was about to lose it. Good. “Do you want to hear how I was fucking terrified. How any good thing that I had ever received had been taken away from me? That when I felt that twinge in my chest, that I knew what it meant but prayed to the gods that it wasn’t that.” I went to start in on him again. “Would hearing that I looked for you in every female I came across help us here?.” 

“Stop. Just stop. I’m sure you’ve rehearsed this all before but do you actually think I’m stupid enough to believe it?” I spit out between my teeth. 

“No. Gods this is coming out all wrong.” He ran a frantic hand through his hair. I clocked the shake in them “Why did you break the bond?”

I laughed at his audacity. “Why? You have the nerve to ask me why?” My voice dripped venom, “I did it because I couldn’t stand being tied to you like that. That night..” I started, he interrupted me.

“I said the most vile things I could think of. I panicked when you told me about the bond. If you could feel it too, I knew nothing good could have come from that so I pushed you away.” I shook my head, as if I could shake his words away from my ears. 

“You seemed so shocked when I told you.” 

His head sunk down, voice small “I was shocked because no part of me believed, believes, that I deserve you in that way.” When he stepped forward, I didn’t step away. Mind too busy catching up with his words. “Please say something. “ 

I turned my eyes up to look at him. Hazel eyes soft sparkling with unshed tears. I wanted to rip into him. I truly did. Some sick part of me wanted to make him hurt like he had hurt me but I know that wouldn’t fix anything here. What is done was done. 

“You don’t get to do this to me. You don’t get to say all the right things and just have me forgive you. You don’t get to say that you love me after everything you did.” He sighed. Leaning his head on top of mine. I frowned at the contact, but didn’t push him away, refusing to melt into him. “Whatever your reason. You said all those things that you knew would hurt me, you said them and some part of you had to believe them.” 

“I know. There isn’t a day that I don’t regret everything that I said, everything I had put you through over all those years. I took you for granted and I didn’t realize how much I loved you until you were gone. Until I felt that bond being snatched away from me” I wanted to push him back but something in me let his words sink into my bones. 

“I had dreamed for so long how it would feel when I finally heard you say those words, And do you know what I feel?” His eyes glimmered with hope as I took a step away from him, out of his grasp. “Nothing. I feel nothing for you. Not anger, not contempt.” Tears slipped out of his eyes at my harsh words. “Of course I remember what it felt like before. Maybe some part of me will always love you in my own way but I’m not tied to you anymore and I have never been so thankful for something in my entire life.” He flinched like I had hit him.

“Do you really mean that?” His voice was so small it almost made me feel bad for him. Almost.

“I do.” I sucked in a heavy breath. “Look, we’ll most likely still have to see each other so I don’t want to end on a bad note. You were still one of my best friends for over a century and this doesn’t undo all of that but this,” I gesture between the two of us, “Will never be anything else but that, a friendship.” He gave me a sad smile. 

“I’ll take whatever you are willing to give me.” I turned to walk away and he reached for my arm, I grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before I walked back to the ball that was in full swing. 

I weaved in between bodies easily. Finding Eris with ease. Despite being in the middle of a conversation, he stepped away the moment he sensed my presence. Not sparing a glance to the fae surrounding him. 

“That’s all settled then?” He asked, giving me a once over. I nodded and took his hand again.

“I believe we were in the middle of a dance?” I pulled him against me, not realizing how much I missed the feeling of his heat against my skin. I placed my head on his chest. We didn’t so much as dance, more so swayed in place. Arms wrapped around each other. He tapped my chin with a gentle finger and I let him guide my mouth up to his. The kiss was soft and sweet, like holding your hands in front of a warm fire after a day in the cold. When I tried to deepen it, he laughed against my lips. I let out a shameless whine as he disconnected our lips. As I looked into his eyes, I felt the stirring of something familiar and for the first time, welcomed it as that hole in my chest was filled again.

Tagging people that seemed excited about pt. 2

@cleverzonkwombatsludge @yearninglustfully @myromanempiree @starsandsins @melmo567 @saltedcoffeescotch

[sluttywonwoo]

arm's-length || y.jh

pairing: yoon jeonghan x female reader

summary: you wake up sick the night before you're supposed to join your boyfriend on his work trip. you don't want to get him sick but he still wants you to go. a compromise is made.

warnings: swearing, mentions of covid (the reader does not have it though!!!!), suggestive content (mdni;18+)

word count: 4.4k

a/n: this was originally posted (years ago) on my main/tom holland account. but since i'm sick right now, i thought i might post it here too

notes: fans aren't (as) weird about k-pop idols dating in this au, seventeen also doesn't fly privately in this au... just suspend your disbelief for me

When you woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, throat burning, you assumed the worst. The shrill beeping of the thermometer in your mouth only confirmed what you already knew. You sighed, washed the thermometer and put it back in the medicine cabinet, trading it for a rapid COVID test. You still had a few a stacked underneath the sink for cases like these. You opened the package, swabbed yourself, and reached into the medicine cabinet bottle of ibuprofen. You shook two pills into your palm and used your other hand to cup water from the faucet to swallow them with. Wiping your mouth with the back of your hand, you took a moment to look back up into the mirror at your bleak appearance. Even in the darkness you could see glassy, tired eyes staring back at you and a fine sheen of sweat that had broken out on your forehead. 

It felt like the minutes were dragging by, but your phone’s timer was going off before you knew it. You checked the test- negative, thank god, and then took a seat on the cold tile of the bathroom floor, trying to decide what to do. Jeonghan was leaving to go to Paris tomorrow morning for an UNESCO event, and you were supposed to be going with him. But you couldn’t get him sick too. You wouldn’t.

Resolving to spend the rest of the night on the couch, you tiptoed back into the bedroom to grab your pillow and a blanket.

Jeonghan turned over towards you as you attempted to quietly gather everything in your arms at your side of the bed without dropping anything and you bit back a curse.

“Baby?” he asked groggily, voice raspy. You saw him blinking hard, trying to get his eyes to adjust so he could see you, but you took a step back into the darkness, knowing that if he saw the state you were in he’d never fall back to sleep, and he needed it desperately.

“Go back to sleep, Hannie, I’ll be right back,” you lied, biting your lip as you did so, but you saw him relax back into the mattress and breathed a sigh of relief.

In the living room you sprawled out on the couch, but your aching muscles prevented you from getting comfortable. The thin blanket you’d dragged from the bedroom didn’t do much for your chill, but you wrapped it around you tightly anyway, hoping it would subside once the medicine kicked in.

“Baby?” you awoke to Jeonghan’s concerned voice above you.

You sat up with a groan and immediately shut your eyes tightly, willing the splitting headache that must’ve developed overnight to go away.  

“Why’re you out here?” he asked. “Did we have a fight I’m not remembering?”

You smiled weakly. “No, baby, I’m just not feeling that good so I moved to the couch. Didn’t want to get you sick.”

“What?”

“I just have a little fever, it’s not a big deal.”

Jeonghan looked appalled. “How little?”

You pressed your lips together, not answering. His soft brown eyes hardened just the tiniest bit and he leaned over the couch to feel your forehead. You ducked him initially, and he chuckled at your stubbornness, putting his hand on your shoulder gently to steady you and you surrendered. His cool fingers on your warm skin felt nice and you let yourself relax slightly back into him as he gauged your temperature for himself.

“You’re burning up, love. Why didn’t you wake me up?” he asked, trying not to sound hurt.

“You needed sleep,” you explained, voice barely audible.

“And you didn’t?” 

You shrugged. “You have all that important stuff starting today, I just didn’t want-”

“I’m canceling it,”

“No, Jeonghan, you’re not.”

“You’re sick!”

“You can’t cancel on the UN,” you repeated in a measured tone. 

“What are they going to do, fire me?”

“I don’t know, maybe? I’d go as far as to say they’d murder you.” You took a deep breath. “I’m an adult. I can take care of myself.”

Jeonghan let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “But you shouldn’t have to!”

“It’s fine, babe, really. I do it all the time, my immune system is a bitch.” You laughed lightly.

“Because I’m gone all the time,” he murmured in realization.

You frowned because that’s not what you’d been trying to get at, but you knew Jeonghan was already beating himself up for it anyway. “You know that’s not your fault. Your job…” you trailed off. 

“I just want to be able to take care of you.”

“And I don’t want to get you sick during the most important season of your career.”

Jeonghan pinched the bridge of his nose. “I-I can’t just leave you like this!”

“Fine, what about a compromise?” you asked with a cough. Jeonghan narrowed his eyes, but was listening. “I go with you, but you can’t touch me.”

“What? I can’t-” he sputtered.

“Not until I’m better! Do you know how much of an earful I’d get from your managers if I gave you what I have?”

“That’s a terrible compromise.”

“It’s the best I’ve got.”

“You realize how ridiculous that sounds? I can’t touch my fucking girlfriend?”

“What do you want me to say?”

“That you’ll let me take care of you.”

“You can. From an arm’s length.”

“An arm’s length?! Like literally?”

“Yep.” You held your arm out in front of you to demonstrate. “That should be good.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

You were not kidding. And you were nothing if not stubborn. At the airport,  you were able to exchange your first class ticket for an economy seat in a row that wasn’t completely full when Jeonghan was taking pictures with some fans. You felt a little guilty about stranding him and going behind his back, but you told yourself it was for his own good. 

“Ready, babe?” you asked with as bright a smile as you could manage, hoping you didn’t look as sweaty as you felt.

The girls Jeonghan was surrounded by glanced up at you and gave you polite smiles. They backed off to give you guys some space, but still watched on curiously as the two of you interacted.

Jeonghan reached out for your hand and you didn’t pull away, knowing how bitchy it would look in front of the fans. He smirked as he interlaced his fingers with yours and waved goodbye to the girls. As soon as you got to the security line you yanked your hand out of his grasp, pulling out a bottle of hand sanitizer and squirting a bit into his hands. 

“You’re paranoid,” Jeonghan said with a chuckle, rubbing his hands together nonetheless.

“I’m trying to save my own ass,” you muttered coughing into your sleeve a couple of times. A few people in line gave you wary looks, but you ignored them.

You sat two seats apart from Jeonghan at the gate while you were waiting for the plane to arrive and Jeonghan didn’t protest, talking to you softly as you rested your eyes. You liked to listen to his voice, and he didn’t understand it, but indulged you anyway. He talked about different people around the terminal, describing them in detail. He talked about his sister, gossiped about his members like they weren’t sitting a few feet away. He talked about how beautiful you looked, making you laugh. You were wearing his clothes, the ones you’d gone to sleep in, and your eyes were bright red. Your entire face was flushed and you were still sweaty.

“It’s time for more medicine, my love,” Jeonghan reminded you softly and you opened your eyes again. You sat up and held your palm open so that your boyfriend could shake the pills from the bottle into your hand. You swallowed them with a sip of sprite. The bubbles felt good on your throat. 

An announcement was made for first class to start boarding and Jeonghan stood with a stretch, cracking his knuckles. 

“That’s us, baby,” he said when you didn’t stand, beckoning you to join him.

“About that…”

“About what?”

-

“Mr. Yoon, I’m really sorry, but you need to board, sir.” The flight attendant was young and nervous. You felt bad about holding everyone up, and even worse for making this woman’s job harder than it had to be.

“Please just give me another moment,” he pleaded impatiently. 

You’d been arguing with him for about ten minutes. The rest of first class had already boarded and business class was on standby, the only one holding them up being Jeonghan. In any other circumstance they would’ve gone ahead and started boarding business class anyway, but because Jeonghan was a priority passenger, they had to wait for him to be seated before they could continue. 

“It makes no sense. Why the fuck would you switch you tickets?”

“Jeonghan, we’re making a scene,” you said tiredly, noticing some of the passengers waiting had their phones out. It wasn’t anything you weren’t used to, but you knew this wasn’t going to turn out well for either of you. 

“I don’t care.”

“I’m sorry, okay?” you apologized, your voice coming out weak. “Can we talk about this later?”

He hesitated, but ultimately gave in with a curt nod. 

“Now get your ass on that plane. I’ll see you when we land.”

Jeonghan gave you a tight smile and a kiss on the cheek that made you freeze. “I love you.”

“Love you.” Bastard. 

And then you watched him go, shoulders tense, expression guarded as he handed the scanned his ticket and walked into the tunnel.

You were one of the last to board, lagging behind the other passengers as not to draw more attention to yourself. Though in hindsight, it had the opposite effect. You could feel everyone watching you out of the corner of their eyes as you walked to the back of the plane and took your seat.

The only other person in your row was an older businesswoman which left the middle seat open. She gave you a nod before turning back to her kindle. You settled into your seat for the flight and shut your eyes. You just wanted to spend the next eight hours asleep and not thinking about how Jeonghan was probably fuming in his own seat right now, but you knew your chances were slim. 

By the time the plane landed, you hadn’t even slept for an hour, despite how hard you tried. It only added to how miserable and exhausted you already were. You caught a glimpse of yourself in the reflection of your phone screen and winced at how wrecked you looked. You were already dreading getting off the plane. Not only was Jeonghan probably still mad at you, but you knew people would be taking pictures of the two of you in the airport and you looked like shit. But there wasn’t much you could do about it aside from trying to comb through your hair with your fingers, which did little to nothing. 

Jeonghan was waiting for you on the jet bridge when you got off the plane, but he didn’t speak to you. You followed him off the ramp and into the airport where he slowed a little bit so you could grab his hand.

It was a routine you were used to, but tired of. Pretending like everything was okay in public when it wasn’t. You knew it was necessary, but you didn’t like how natural it had become for you. You and Jeonghan fought like any other couple, only you had to hide it. Putting on a happy face had become second nature, even when you felt shitty. And Jeonghan giving you the silent treatment right now made you feel shitty. 

You knew you couldn’t blame him either, you had lied to him, but you already felt like you were dying and his anger wasn’t helping. 

The airport seemed a million miles long and your hand felt sweaty in Jeonghan’s. He smiled and nodded at the fans who were waiting over by baggage claim and the entrance and you tried to do the same, but your cheeks hurt after just a few minutes and you knew the pictures posted online later were going to be rough. 

You were almost out the door and in an Uber, when you began coughing and doubled over in the middle of the walkway. It was all way more dramatic than it should’ve been. It wasn’t really a big deal, it happened whenever you got sick because your asthma was a bitch. You just needed a moment to catch your breath, but in a second Jeonghan had a hand on your shoulder, standing in front of you to block you from onlookers and cameras.

“Baby, are you alright?” he asked, voice laced with concern. 

“Now you talk to me?” you shot back, smirking when a brief shade of bitterness crossed over Jeonghan’s features. You straightened up and brushed yourself off like nothing had happened. “I’m fine, Jeonghan. Let’s get to the hotel, yeah?”

He sighed, and gave you a once-over like he wasn’t sure if you were telling the truth, but relented and grabbed your hand- the one you’d accidentally coughed into before switching to the crook of your elbow (like you were supposed to do to avoid spreading germs) and you rolled your eyes. He was impossible.

Jeonghan rubbed your head in the Uber on the way to the hotel and you didn’t protest. You weren’t being very good about enforcing the whole “arm’s length” rule, but you gave yourself a pass for this one. 

-

Once at the hotel, you tried to carry some of the luggage up to your room and nearly gave Jeonghan a heart attack in the process. The way his eyes bugged out of his head when you picked up the biggest duffel bag in the pile and slung it over your shoulder while he was trying to check in was comical. You saw him curse and apologize to the receptionist before jogging over to where you were standing, leaving his credit card and wallet on the counter. 

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” he hissed, and took the duffel bag from you, promptly dropping it on the floor. 

You grinned at him sheepishly. “Sorry?”

He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, something he’d been doing a lot in the past twelve hours. “Just- stay here, okay? And don’t do any more weightlifting.”

You shook your head at him as he walked back over to the check-in desk, while keeping his eyes on you and nearly tripping over a side table on the way there. You stood there for a second while he finished up the paperwork and the security deposit, too out of it to do anything with yourself.

“Let’s go, hot stuff,” Jeonghan called out from across the lobby, flashing a pair of keycards at you.

He grabbed the bags this time and handed you the keys in return. As soon as you were in the room and the door clicked shut behind you, you flopped down onto the bed like a starfish, and groaned in pain.

“I’m so sorry you’re sick, baby,” Jeonghan said sweetly as he kneeled on the carpet beside you.

“And I’m sorry I went behind your back and changed my seat on the plane without telling you.”

“It’s okay. I understand why you did it. I would’ve liked to sit next to you, though.” 

“I would’ve liked that too, but I refuse to get you sick, Jeonghan. And I got like two hundred airline points when I downgraded my seat!” 

You smiled triumphantly and Jeonghan chuckled. He propped himself up on the edge of the bed on his elbows and leaned forward to kiss your forehead. He frowned.

“When was the last time you took medicine, y/n?”

You tried to recall it, but you couldn’t remember. Your brain felt too fuzzy. “I dunno.”

“Did you take anything on the plane?”

“Um…” you winced, knowing you were about to get an earful. 

“‘I can take care of myself’ absolute bullshit,” Jeonghan scoffed and reached for the backpack next to him. “I’m never leaving you home sick again.”

“Hannieee,” you whined.

He parroted your name back in the exact same tone of voice. “Here, let’s take your temperature.”

He held the thermometer out to you and you put it under your tongue lazily, already knowing it wasn’t going to be pretty. It beeped loudly only a few seconds later and Jeonghan snatched it out of your mouth before you could look at it. 

“Fuck.”

“What’s the damage, doc?”

He cracked a small smile and sighed. “One hundred point six.” He checked his watch. “Okay, it’s about six-thirty now, you can take some ibuprofen now and then some tylenol at nine-thirty.”

“Are you really supposed to swap them out like that so much?” you asked, taking the pills Jeonghan offered you.

“The managers always did it for me and the members, we turned out fine.”

“Define ‘fine’,” you teased, earning a glare from your boyfriend. 

“Please just take your medicine,” Jeonghan begged. “You haven’t had any in your system for hours.”

“I’m usually good about this stuff,” you insisted and threw the medicine back with a gulp of water. 

He slid the bottle of pills back into the backpack along with the thermometer and crossed his arms. “Yeah, something tells me that when you get sick you keep going to work even though you tell me you’re staying home, you sleep on your breaks, take ibuprofen every ten hours or so, don’t really use your inhaler- even when you’re coughing up a lung, and eat mmm once a day? That sound about right?”

He’d only really half nailed it. Well… maybe seventy percent nailed it. Eighty at best. You gave him an amused look and smiled smugly. “You don’t have any proof.”

Jeonghan raised an eyebrow at you. “I have your best friend.”

“Son of a bitch, I’m going to kill her.” You sat up and reached for your phone that you’d set up to charge on the bedside table. 

“Hey,” Jeonghan grabbed your wrist gently. “She was just trying to help, love. I asked her what you usually did when you’re sick so that I could know what you like and take care of you, and she told me the truth. She worries about you, you know.”

“No, I didn’t know that actually,” you admitted.

“Well she does.”

“I know those are all bad habits and stuff, but I’m not completely incompetent. I make myself tea and soup when I’m sick. I take hot baths, 

“Do you want me to draw you a bath?”

“That’d be really nice at home, but… I don’t know, I’m just weird about hotel baths.”

He nodded in understanding. “I get it, let’s just shower instead.”

“Both of us?” you asked hesitantly.

“I was thinking so?” He scrunched his face up in confusion. “Why?”

“Because,” you paused to cough, “I’m sick. I don’t want to get you sick. Arm’s length and all that.”

“I know, but it’ll help you feel better.” Jeonghan held his hand out to you. “Come on, baby,” he coaxed and led you into the bathroom. 

He managed to get you and himself undressed and in the shower without further argument from you. Truthfully, you were too tired to fight about it. You could barely stay awake and upright as Jeonghan worked shampoo through your hair, let alone form a comprehensible sentence. You moaned a bit as his strong hands rubbed soap down your torso, not being able to help your body’s reaction to his touch.

“You okay, baby?” he asked. “Am I hurting you?”

“No,” you said and shook your head, immediately regretting it when the room started spinning around you. “Sorry, just kind of out of it.”

“Don’t worry, my love.” Jeonghan smiled at you and leaned in to kiss you. You came to your senses and pushed yourself away from him. He didn’t even try to hide a frown this time.

“Can you at least try to stay healthy?” you sighed and stepped out of the shower.

Jeonghan wasn’t far behind you and wrapped a towel around your shoulders. “I’m sorry, but it’s not my fault you’re so fucking irresistible.”

You glared at him. “Smooth.”

He looked amused. “Wow you must be really sick, not even my pickup lines are working on you.”

“I’m going to bed,” you said, ignoring him.

You climbed into bed in a sweatshirt, pajama pants, and socks while Jeonghan came to bed in just his boxers. You looked at him in disbelief. 

“You’ll freeze, Hannie. It’s cold as fuck in here.”

“No it’s not,” he replied and bit his lip. “You’ve got a fever, remember?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize, baby. I can warm you up,” he offered and rolled over to hold you, only to be smacked with a pillow. 

“Keep your hands to yourself, Yoon.”

You made a small barrier of pillows between you so neither of you would accidentally (or purposely, ahem Jeonghan) roll over and touch the other in the middle of the night. 

“Are you serious?” Jeonghan pouted. “Baby-”

“Nuh-uh we had a deal. You need to be feeling your best for... whatever it is you’re doing tomorrow. You’re the interim leader, after all.” 

“Whatever,” he huffed and rolled over onto his other side.

“You’ll be thanking me whenever you don’t catch what I have,” you said and coughed a few more times. 

You rolled over to turn off the lamp on the table next to you before pulling the covers all the way up to your chin and finally, finally getting some sleep. 

You dreamt about him. About Jeonghan. About his hands on your body while being buried deep inside you. His mouth was on your neck, your shoulders, your collarbone. You arched your back when he moaned softly in your ear, gripping the sheets tightly with one hand, using the other to pull at his hair. You felt yourself getting close when he began thrusting into you harder than before and you gasped at the sensation, only getting closer to the edge when he called out your name. 

“Y/n,” at first whispered and then more firmly. “Y/n. Y/n!”

Your eyes snapped open and you searched the dark room frantically, looking for Jeonghan. He was right next to you, gazing at you in concern. His hair was sticking up all over the place from where he’d moved around in his sleep and he was looking at you expectantly. 

“You were calling out for me, are you okay?”

Your face was burning with embarrassment and you wondered if he could tell. You were still breathing hard, and you were a little sweaty, but you couldn’t tell if it was from your fever or from your dream. “I’m fine, sorry to wake you.” 

“Were you… dreaming about me?” he pressed, leaning over the pillow barrier to look at you closely. 

You hesitated. “Uh, yeah.”

“What was the dream about?”

“Nothing important, we were, um…in a corn maze! We were in a corn maze and I couldn’t find you and that’s why I was calling out for you.”

“A corn maze?” He didn’t look convinced.

“Mhm.”

“Baby?” he asked again. 

“Yeah?”

“Was it a sex dream?”

“…maybe.”

Jeonghan’s face lit up and he lifted himself up onto his arms to climb on top of you. “Here let me help-”

You held out and arm to stop him. “I’m, I’m fine Jeonghan,” you lied, clenching your thighs together. 

He flopped back down onto his stomach on top of the pillow barrier. “So if I reached into your panties right now, you wouldn’t be wet?”

You swallowed. “Nope.”

“Liar.”

“I’m fine, Jeonghan! Sex is literally the last thing we should be doing right now! Do you know how much bacteria-”

“I never said anything about sex,” he countered.

“What are you talking about?”

“I was just going to eat you out! I want you to feel better, baby.”

“I think that’s somehow worse?”

“No way, I don’t think I can catch anything from eating you out.”

“I’m almost positive you can, Hannie. I’m fine.”

“I’m googling it!” He announced and rolled back over. Before you could protest the light from his phone was shining over his face as he typed. “Can you catch a contagious virus from eating pussy?”

“That’s going to be in your search history forever.”

“The internet doesn’t say anything against it,” he declared victoriously.

“Does it say anything about it at all?”

“Uh… yeah. It says it’s fine”

“Who’s the liar now, Jeonghan?” He grinned sheepishly. “Go back to sleep, I’m fine. I’m not even horny anymore.”

He looked at you like he didn’t believe you, but ultimately put his phone back on the table and closed his eyes again. In no time he was breathing deeply and you could relax. Why was common sense so lacking in your boyfriend? What part of the no touching deal did he not understand? The answer was all of it and it was a pain in the ass. He was a pain in the ass. A pain in the ass that you loved very much, but a pain in the ass nonetheless. 

You closed your eyes, but couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t that you weren’t tired, you were still completely exhausted, but Jeonghan had been right. You were still insanely turned on from your dream and you weren’t sure what to do about it. You waited a few minutes for the urge to subside, but it didn’t. 

“You were about to cum, weren’t you?” Jeonghan piped up out of nowhere, scaring the shit out of you.

“Fuck, I thought you were asleep.”

“Just answer the question,” Jeonghan growled, not helping your current situation whatsoever. “In your dream, you were about to, right? You were biting your lip like you do when you’re going to cum.”

You sighed. “Yeah. Yeah I was.”

“But you didn’t?”

“Unfortunately not.”

“Let me help you finish, baby. It’ll help you sleep,” Jeonghan insisted. “You need rest.”

You sniffled and groaned. “Ugh, you’re impossible, you know that?”

“Is that a yes?”

“It’s a yes,” you surrendered and pushed the blankets down below your hips. “But the rule still applies. Arm’s length.”

He smirked. “I think I can work with that.”

[hooksbooks]

Renegade Exchange '24: Her Kingdom As Great

I participated in @renegadeguild's typesetting and bound fic exchange, in which we trade typsetting/bound fic wishlists with other participants and then typseset/bind at least one fic from their list and send it to them.

This post is about the first fic I bound for @celestial-sphere-press: Her Kingdom As Great by MarbleGlove.

I was excited to see this fic on my requester's wishlist, because I've read this series in the past and really enjoyed it. I liked the imagery of the golden wheat berries from the Nearly Endless Plains being used in embroidery on clothing, so I wanted the cover to feature embroidered wheat sheaves.

My first step was to work on the book cloth. I knew I wanted something tan that looked kind of hand-woven, so I went to the fabric store and got some linen-look fabric that I liked. I also experimented with three different ways of making it into bookcloth: backed with tissue paper filled with Heat'n'Bond (right), filled with a 50/50 mix of starch paste and matte acrylic medium (bottom), and filled with the paste/medium mix with a piece of tissue paper on the back (top).

I ended up liking the last option the best, though it meant the fabric lost the slubby linen-like texture I had selected it for. I wanted to go all-in on the tan wheat-tone theme, so I also printed the text on cream paper instead of white (the right typeset in the picture above).

I also added a tan bookmark, embroidered on gold headbands, and added an oxford hollow (although this book is a bit too thin to really need it).

When I went to cover the book, I had every intention of using gold HTV foil. However, I didn't take into account how the beads would inhibit me moving the iron around like I usually do with HTV (to avoid issues with the steam holes). It didn't end well. In fact, it ended very horribly.

The foil only partially stuck, and when trying to use the tip of the iron to apply heat only on the bits that hadn't stuck, the iron left a big black stain on my bookcloth. Luckily, it came out pretty well with a bit of baking soda on a nearly-dry toothbrush. I ended up asking a neighbor for some gold paint and using some regular vinyl as a stencil, which worked out OK. I found out later that it works better if you put down a layer of acrylic medium or the like first to avoid bleeding around the edges, but you live and learn.

Technical details:

Quarto size (quarter-letter, about A6)

Sewn on tapes

Sewn-on made endpapers

Chisel-trimmed

Rounded but not backed

Sewn-on endbands

Sewn-on bookmark

Oxford hollow

The tapes are frayed and glued to the exterior of the boards

The mull is also glued to the exterior of the boards

Full bookcloth cover

Things I especially liked about this bind:

The embroidery. It turned out pretty much exactly how I had envisioned it

The filled bookcloth. I don't think I'll do it by default, but I liked how it turned out and I like having it as an option in my back pocket

Things I'd like to improve for next time:

The title. I don't mind the paint rather than HTV foil, but I didn't love that it bled under the edges of the stencil. Next time I'll try using acrylic medium to seal the edges first, and see how that turns out.

The endpapers. I've been applying my endpapers with the covers open because I was concerned that they'd pull weird and possibly rip at the hinge. Unfortunately, this causes a big wrinkle in the endpapers that does not look nice. I figured out while doing the back endpaper that it actually is just fine to apply the endpapers as I close the covers on them because of the way I taper my boards and glue the mull on the outside of the cover.

Overall I'm moderately pleased. It's the highest-effort book I've made so far, and it turned out nearly how I had envisioned it with only minor issues.

[indira-securities]

TCS Stock in Focus: How the Vantage Towers Partnership Impacts Investors

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is poised to capture investor attention following its landmark collaboration with Vantage Towers, Europe’s second-largest telecom tower operator, to launch a digital service platform aimed at revolutionizing landlord engagement across the continent. Announced on March 5, this partnership underscores TCS’s growing influence in Europe’s telecom infrastructure sector and highlights its ability to drive digital innovation for large-scale operational challenges. As a result, investors are closely tracking TCS share price, anticipating potential gains from this strategic expansion.

A Digital Leap for Telecom Infrastructure

The newly unveiled platform, powered by TCS Crystallus for Telecom, a tailored industry solution, aims to streamline service processes for property owners leasing land for telecom tower installations. By integrating advanced digital workflows, the system will provide landlords across eight European markets with 24/7 personalized customer support via their preferred channels, fostering transparency and efficiency. For Vantage Towers, which manages 86,000 sites, the initiative is critical to retaining property partners, accelerating network expansion, and solidifying its position as a leader in sustainable telecom infrastructure.

Meanwhile, traders and investors keeping a close watch on the Live Stock Market are analyzing how this collaboration may impact TCS stock price today, particularly in the context of growing demand for digital infrastructure solutions.

Why This Partnership Matters

Enhanced Landlord Experience: Property owners gain real-time access to support and critical information through a unified portal, reducing friction in site management.

Operational Agility for Vantage Towers: Agents and stakeholders can seamlessly access centralized data, enabling faster decision-making and improved service delivery.

Long-Term Network Growth: By converting landlords into advocates, Vantage Towers aims to secure stable partnerships essential for Europe’s 5G rollout and digital transformation.

Technology at the Core

TCS’s collaboration with ServiceNow, a leader in digital workflow solutions, will amplify the platform’s capabilities. The integration of TCS Crystallus ensures scalability and agility, aligning with Vantage Towers’ vision for seamless site operations.

Akhilesh Tiwari, President of TCS’s Communications, Media, and Information Services division, emphasized the strategic alignment: "This initiative transforms landlord experience while driving business agility. Our partnership with ServiceNow ensures sustained innovation to meet Vantage Towers’ growth imperatives."

Echoing this sentiment, Tobias Steinig, Chief Digital Officer at Vantage Towers, highlighted the win-win nature of the collaboration: "Stable landlord relationships are foundational to Europe’s network expansion. This project reinforces our commitment to operational excellence and transparency."

Broader Implications for TCS

The deal builds on a longstanding relationship between TCS and Vantage Towers, signaling deeper trust in the IT giant’s ability to deliver transformative solutions. For TCS, this partnership strengthens its foothold in Europe’s telecom sector—a strategic market as global enterprises prioritize digital infrastructure upgrades. Investors engaged in stock market trading are closely monitoring how this collaboration translates into revenue growth and client retention for TCS, particularly amid rising demand for cloud and AI-driven solutions.

Additionally, retail investors looking to capitalize on TCS’s growth trajectory should consider trading account opening to actively participate in market movements surrounding the company’s stock performance.

Looking Ahead

As telecom operators across Europe race to meet connectivity demands, TCS’s role as an enabler of scalable, user-centric platforms positions it as a key player in the ecosystem. The Vantage Towers partnership not only highlights TCS’s technical prowess but also its capacity to drive tangible value for clients through innovation. With TCS share price in focus post-announcement, the market will watch for early indicators of success, such as improved landlord retention rates or accelerated site deployments.

For now, TCS’s latest move reinforces its reputation as a global IT leader—one that turns complex challenges into opportunities for growth. Investors and traders tracking TCS stock price today will be eager to see how this development plays out in the broader Live Stock Market.

For more information, visit https://www.indiratrade.com/

[gotta-winwin]

RELATIONSHIP WITH SEVENTEEN <> MAKNAE LINE

MINGHAO - guide in life

THEN: Minghao was excited to have another Chinese member join them, even if they were a girl and could cause controversy amongst media and fans. While the other members fussed over Cyana whenever she was upset, Minghao would be the one to treat her normally, opting to distract her from her brooding thoughts instead. Cyana learned a lot of life skills from Minghao. NOW: Minghao and Cyana still have that iconic zen friendship. Whenever life gets a bit too much, Minghao is the one Cyana runs to. He keeps her life in balance, as he nags encourages her to eat healthily, sleep early, to meditate and to join him for tea ceremonies. On the other hand, Minghao and Cyana love gossiping in Chinese, knowing it's annoying the others that they cannot understand.

DK - sunshine duo

THEN: DK and Cyana bonded almost immediately despite the language barrier. All it took was one blazing smile from DK and a shy one from Cyana for them to become best friends. DK basically adopted the girl and people began to notice how bubbly and open Cyana would be around him. NOW: The childlike glow around their friendship hasn't faded despite both of them growing up. Cyana shines the brightest around DK and vice versa. When either of them is feeling down, the other never fails to do something extra goofy to cheer them up. Coined as the "sunshine duo," Cyana is often dragged into skits by DK to entertain fans.

MINGYU - visual double kill

THEN: Having a new member only excited Mingyu, despite it being a girl. Sure, he was a little nervous at first, but he got over it just as quickly. Cyana loved bantering with Mingyu, as they both spoke broken konglish in fit of giggles. They paired perfectly as a black cat / golden retriever duo. NOW: As they grew up, both of them never ceased to be the group's visual double kill. They often graced magazine covers together and went on weverse live to eat and interact with fans. Cyana's Mingyu's personal taster when it comes to his cooking, and in return he is often the first to taste her baking. Fans often liken the duo to a dog and its girl, as Mingyu is often photographed following behind Cyana with a big ol' grin on his face.

SEUNGKWAN - gossip buddies

THEN: In the beginning, Cyana was a bit put off by how energetic and loud Seungkwan could be. It tired her out easily, but with more time, Seungkwan became her go-to person for easy comfort. He often knew exactly what she needed at the moment and would always invite her out on impromptu outings for fun. NOW: Seungkwan played a big part in breaking Cyana's shell, allowing her to become the confident person she is today. They are the best gossip buddies now that the language barrier does not restrict them, and love being fangirls/fanboys together. Seungkwan still invites Cyana everywhere with him when they have time, introducing her to his idol friends outside of seventeen.

VERNON - goofball twins

THEN: Similar to Joshua, Vernon was excited to have a new member from the US, even more excited when he heard it'd be someone close in age. Vernon was the one that Cyana could often let her guard down and just....exist. His goofy antics miffed her a bit in the beginning but she grew to love his quirks, even adopting some of them for herself. NOW: Vernon and Cyana are movie buddies and often roommates while on tour. They love trading movie reviews (running a secret and joint letterboxd account). Vernon's the one Cyana goes to in times of distress, knowing he won't scold or fuss over her like the others might do.

DINO - twin maknaes

THEN: Dino was excited to have his wish - to have a friend his age in the group - finally granted. He was a little worried when the friend turned out to be a girl, but his outgoing nature befriended Cyana easily despite the language barrier. They were attached at the hip, babied by their members and company staff. NOW: Being the same age and growing up together, experiencing the same things close in time resulted in them being the closest duo within seventeen. They grew into natural sibling energy, with little fights, teases and a generally good time. Both known as the future of Kpop, they often push each other to do better and are each others biggest cheerleaders.

[prettieinpink]

how do i learn to develop JOMO? (joy of missing out)

HOW TO DEVELOP JOMO

Jomo is the joy in missing out. JOMO encourages intentional living and finding fulfilment in the present rather than seeking validation or fearing missing out on what others are doing. It celebrates the freedom and peace that comes from consciously choosing to miss out on certain social activities and trends. 

DISCONNECT. Social media is an illusion, it makes everything look better than it truly is. Not only should you put boundaries on how you manage and use your accounts, but you should also shift your mindset when using them. 

Begin to think of social media as a tool to help you become the best version of yourself. Consume content that resonates with your current life or the life you’re working towards. This will motivate you to work hard for what you want. 

EMBRACE SOLITUDE. Learn to find enjoyment in being alone. Using this time by ourselves to reflect, recharge and indulge in our pleasures allows us to connect better with ourselves. 

To get used to being alone, challenge yourself to do things that you would usually have to do with someone else, by yourself. Whether it’s eating out, studying, shopping etc. 

REFRAME YOUR MINDSET TO GRADITUDE. Someone else’s assets, skills or experiences do not take away from your own. Be thankful for what you have, and what you are going to get. 

Begin to focus on what to cherish currently, other than what you could be missing out on. A way to practice gratitude is at the end of the day, to list 5 things that you’re thankful for (and you wouldn’t trade for someone else’s life!). 

PRIORITISE YOURSELF. You should start to see that the ability to take care of yourself is a privilege that you shouldn’t ignore. Instead of saying ‘yes’ to every commitment, only go to the ones that align with you and bring genuine fulfilment. 

The times when you’re not at any commitments, use it to invest in yourself and practice some self-care rituals regularly. Your health is more important than any other event. 

BE INTENTIONAL WITH YOUR TIME. Stop chasing after every single opportunity, especially ones that do not resonate with your dream life. Only do the things that align with your values and goals. 

Stay focused on what truly matters to you. This doesn’t even have to be about going out, it applies to scrolling, laying in bed all day, or watching TV shows, do something intentional instead. 

PRACTICE DETACHMENT. Focus on you and you only. Other people’s lives, words or actions should not play a role in how your days go. It does not matter what they’re doing, you’re just wasting energy on someone who probably could not care less. 

CELEBRATE OTHER’S SUCCESS. Someone else’s success is proof that you can do it too. There is enough success for everyone, be happy that others are achieving what you want to achieve because that allows you to open up to the opportunities you want. 

GET MOTIVATED & INSPIRED INTERNALLY. While I’m all for using other people’s lives as motivation, there is a line when your life becomes misaligned with your goals and values, because that’s still someone else’s life. 

You know yourself better than anyone else. You know why you want this, and you know how you envision it. Tap into those feelings and embody them. 

[praggiere]

Howdy!! Here’s a pinned

My name is Dean and I post various things in my camera roll. Mainly just selfies and my poetry. Sometimes more in depth, long form literature. This is kinda just a whatever pile account honestly!

A little about me!! I’m a transmasculine bi butch, I took T for 5 years and got top surgery in 2021. I love reading on topics like queer lit/history, sexology, and psychology. I also love DnD, baldurs gate, the fallout series, and I’m a power lifter! — oh, and I also work in trades.

I am a Welsh-Canadian settler living within the un-ceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. (So called Vancouver)

This page is 18+! Please don’t follow/engage with my posts if you’re a minor, especially on photos of myself! I love making new friends so don’t hesitate to Dm me either. Im also single and totally open to flirty/sexual convos, but I’m not looking to settle down into anything romantic or exclusive.

Thank you for reading!! [[do not engage list // boundaries and such are under the cut!]]

I do not engage with any of the following groups or people at all!!

Minors

Anti Palestine // Pro Zionism

cishets can follow but pls don’t interact with my thirst traps lol

TERF’s, SWERF’s, Radfems, LGB alliance, transmedicalists, lesbian separatists, misogynist/misandrists, etc. (did I miss any? Whatever, go die)

Proship/darkship/incest and abuse fetishists

Anyone who supports the creation/distribution of ‘fictional’ material depicting animal/child sexual abuse (loli, shota, feral porn)

Ofc also zoophiles, pedophiles, and all enablers (DIE)

If your gonna come on my account and try to discourse me about my own identity, I’m just blocking you. Not my problem you don’t know your queer history. I’m open to questions and explaining things for those who approach in good faith though.

That out of the way! Here’s some boundaries and such:

Like I said, I’m open to DM’s always! I love making friends, flirting, etc. but please don’t just drop in asking for or sending unsolicited nudes, I don’t mess with that. I also do not engage sexually with anyone under 20

I am okay with both feminine and masculine endearments! I actually really love it and get euphoria from using a mix of these in the same sentences if that makes sense

I don’t kink shame at all, and I’m okay with talking to people about things even if I’m not into it— but please don’t talk about intox play with me at all. I experienced sexual abuse under the influence and it’s very uncomfortable to talk about for me, sorry!

I am not always the best at replying to messages! I work a lot and I’m tired all the time so please be patient if I take a bit to get back to you :)

I’m also a vers in theory lol, when it comes to irl stuff I’m a stone top but I’d love to bottom, just not ready to. I’m chill texting/sexting on the topic of bottoming though!

Some like, kinks of mine I guess cbsjncjsnx

Yes!!: edging, pussy worship, menses, omorashi, shibari, leather everything, piercing (like, getting/giving them lol), light bondage/humiliation, PRAISE, petplay

No thank you!!: noncon, intox, scat, vomit

[thebalmasque]

Finding A Spellbook: I

Ed

Ed would never have admitted it, but his decision to attend college had been to make a new life. He wished to live differently now in a new state, in a new town, and in a new culture. Away from all his peers from high school and a state away from his family, he wanted to be someone new. Someone who wasn’t the introverted honor student that passed by unnoticed. Yet two years in, he remained largely the same person he’d been.

This year his first big resolution had been getting a job. He had gotten a full ride and his parents had told him they’d help pay for what he needed so that he could focus his time on his studies. But he figured getting a job would also help him reinvent himself. So he’d started working at the school library. He was naturally a bookish person but he’d hoped the environment would make him turn that trait into a more social one. Sadly it had yet to bear fruit.

One day while shelving and thinking, a book had fallen from the top shelf. It had thucked him in the head relatively hard. When he’d picked it up to inspect it, he found it was a weathered leather book with no title on either the spine or the front. When he opened it, he found nothing to suggest it’d belong in the nonfiction section he’d been shelving.

He began flipping through the pages trying to make out what the book was about. He found what seemed to be a few notes scribbled around the inside cover and the first page. They all looked to be different handwritings however, suggesting it had traded hands over the years.

“This journal is the property of Ryzam Magus, containing the translation of Uturiel’s De Arte Mutationis.” The oldest most faded note said.

“Keep to yourself and don’t share it with another while under your possession.” Another one said.

“Do not trust Ryzam.” Another said, scribbled on the border and barely legible.

Ed was transfixed and turned the page to find the first journal entry.

“I, Ryzam the Mage, here account the art of change as introduced to humanity by Uturiel. As presented in the original manuscripts, I shall break it down in three sections and supplement each with the fruits of mine own work. First comes the Transformation of Self-“ Ed began to read before he was jolted by a voice behind him.

“Hey man hate to bug you but where’s the printer?” The voice asked.

Reflexively Ed closed the book and hid it in the book cart. “Oh- uh no worries. It’s- around the corner from the study rooms. By the Waithe Collection.” He replied slightly flustered.

“Cool. Thanks man.” The other student replied and walked off.

Ed looked at his cart, now mostly finished shelving. He kept the journal in it as he finished shelving and brought the cart back down. When he returned to the front desk, he placed the journal in his backpack and signed off. He needed more privacy to read the journal.

—————— • ——————

Ed returned to his apartment. This year he had decided to move out of the dorms and live off campus. It was definitely a new experience with all the extra responsibilities he now had on top of his academic ones. But by far, the biggest change had been his roommate. His first and second year roommates had been mostly absent. They spent maybe a few nights in the dorm but the rest of the time they were somewhere else. He hadn’t really bonded with them.

This new one was different. Friendly, attractive, fun, and very… active.

As Ed prepared to slide in the key to the door, he was interrupted by the door being swung open and a girl coming out huffing and apparently mad. She acknowledged him for a second, but it was clear she wasn’t really paying attention to him as she turned her head back to yell.

“And fuck you Luke!” She yelled, storming off in anger.

Ed looked inside his apartment, seeing his roommate half-naked standing in the doorway of his room looking bored while reading his phone.

“Uh you got another one?” Ed asked, trying his best not too stare too hard at his attractive roommate.

“Hey Ed.” He said with a smile as he noticed his roommate. He had such a cute smile. “Yeah this one’s not gonna be a regular though.”

Ed took out his phone pretending to get a text and walked towards his room. “Oh ok. I got a lot of homework so I’ll talk to you later.” He said and prepared to lock himself in.

“Bet. Oh yeah I’m going out tonight with the boys. I won’t be back till tomorrow morning so don’t wait up haha.” Luke said and went back to his room, locking his door at the same time as Ed.

Ed flung himself back on his bed and sighed. ‘God I’m such a loser. I can’t even talk normally to my fucking roommate. Who just so happens to be a hot guy that likes talking to me. Ughhhhh’ he though with frustration.

After a few minutes of thorough mental self-deprecation, he remembered the reason he’d come home straight from work. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out Ryzam’s journal and began reading it now free of distractions and prying eyes.

After an hour, he’d gotten through the first chapter of the “Transformation of Self” section. He didn’t really understand much of the context but it seemed to be some sort of occult book with lots of references to magic and alchemy. Having little knowledge on those fields, Ed was largely lost. The first chapter had ended with a lead up to the following chapter “Physical.”

Outside his room, Ed heard Luke’s door open and his footsteps coming out. “Hey man I’m heading out now… Yeah I’ll meet you at the Casa… Haha yeah it’s gonna be wild…” Luke said probably on the phone with one of his friends. The door opened and then closed again.

Ed focused back on Ryzam’s Journal and flipped the page. It listed a set of instructions that appeared to be a magic spell of sorts. Ed didn’t really believe in magic but he was curious to try this out as he was curious.

“To metamorphose, it is best to start with something familiar to oneself. To catalyze and inform the transformation utilize a fragment of the desired form and will it over yourself with an incarnation and a witness to the change. In lieu of a witness, a mirror may be used to observe the change.” The instructions dictated.

On the margins, an annotation had been scribbled. “For beginners, transform into another person. Wear something that contains a piece of them.’

With the clarification, Ed thought of who to transform into. But with the instructions, there really was only one ideal candidate. He left his room and walked around the apartment, making sure the coast was actually clear. He headed towards Luke’s room and opened the door.

His roommate was trusting and didn’t bother employing extra security measures like locking the door. As Ed went inside he realized he’d never actually been inside. He’d seen the room from the outside but never actually seen it in any detail.

Unlike his neatly organized and tidy room, Luke’s was messy. It had the college boy room personality: unmade bed with sheets balled up, dirty clothes scattered all over the floor, a pile of what Ed assumed was clean laundry on his desk chair, and a musky scent in the air that combined body odor and deodorant. Ed was strangely entranced by it all rather than repulsed. Just one more thing about his roommate he found attractive, even if in anyone else this would have been repulsive.

Ed looked around quickly for whatever he could grab before settling for a pair of sweatpants that smelled like they’d been used at the gym.

——————- • ——————

Back in his room, Ed stood in front of the mirror staring at his reflection. Ed was thin and lacked any definite muscle definition. He was a “perfect twink” as he’d heard someone refer to him in high school once. He’d always wished he could put on some weight or muscle but he’d been gifted very different genetic traits.

He stripped off his clothes and focused more on his own reflection. He looked at the sweat pants and brought them up to his face. There was a lingering smell of sweat inside that drove him hot. It was Luke’s smell. Luke, his hot roommate who he was about to try becoming. He felt his dick twitch and begin to harden and rise. He sniffed Luke’s dirty sweats and rubbed his erection.

“Mmm Luke you smell so good. Let me smell like you too.” He muttered, now in heat.

He slid the sweats on and looked at himself in the mirror. The size difference became more apparent than ever. The sweats wouldn’t even stay on if he wasn’t holding them. His waist was much smaller. His thighs and his legs were thinner. He couldn’t even fill them in properly. But not for much longer, he thought now committed. He stared at the mirror and spoke as instructed in Ryzam’s journal.

Ed closed his eyes. “Farewell to the form of Edward Newell. Before thee witness myself, Lucas Martin.” He said with a voice that didn’t quite sound like his own yet was his own.

He opened his eyes again and stared at the mirror. It was still himself, Ed the shy nerd. He sighed in frustration, embarrassed he’d even thought this was real. Yet just as he was about to drop the sweats, a tingling emerged all over his body. It first started over his legs then intensified. It felt like the last time he’d gone to the gym and did an intense workout, his hamstrings burning and his legs barely able to support his weight. He collapsed on the ground.

His legs shook and the fabric of the sweats now felt more tight against his legs. He saw his thighs expanding under the fabric, his legs thickening as muscle was building up. His feet, uncovered, expanded. His thin toes widened and a coat of fur grew over them. These were definitely not his own feet.

Looking down at his bottom half, Ed concluded that this was definitely not part of his original body. Below the waist where the sweats sat was somebody else’s body and it now existed in an awkward attachment to his own skinny body. But he was still aroused by this. A new dick imprint created a tent. He slid down the sweatpants and pulled out the new dick.

“Holy fuck. So this is Luke’s dick…” He said in surprise and flicked it, a shiver going through his body.

Then the change seemed to resume. The same burning feeling spread above his waist, now concentrating on his abdomen, chest, and spreading across his arms. His stomach bubbled and churned, his skin expanding with fat and muscle filling up the space. His chest ballooned out and he could feel his ribcage grow underneath. He winced through the process and heard the other change.

“My voice…” Well not his voice. But it was definitely Luke’s. The sensation had spread into his neck now, hijacking his vocal chords and his throat. He looked at the mirror again, now erotically entranced by his transformation. His body was shifting in such an interesting way. The skin altered slightly in coloration, his chest and stomach bubbled like water over a stove. New mass came with it. He reached for his, no… Luke’s cock and couldn’t help but stroke it.

The mirror displayed such a bizarre scene. Something that looked like Ed, yet not Ed, that every second showed more and more traits and features of Luke.

“Hey there Ed, you’re doing great. You’re starting to look just like me. How do you like this juicy cock?” Ed told himself, obsessed with the reflection in the mirror. “You like my big arms? My pits?” Ed raised a muscled arm to expose a pit and took a whiff. Yeah that definitely wasn’t his scent.

“Yeah baby boy. Take a big whiff.” He said, now breathing harder. He loved Luke’s voice saying these dirty things.

The changes had now come to his head. His hair darkened a bit, going from his original blonde to a dirty blonde. His face widened, with his cheeks taking on some extra flesh. This was no longer Edward Newell. This was definitely Luke.

He began panting and furiously jerking Luke’s cock until a heavy shot of cum exploded out and dirtied the mirror, breaking Ed from the trance. “Fuuuuuuucckkkkk. You did so good, Ed.”

His body sore from the transformation and slick was sweat now expunged a new musky odor that Ed was very pleased by. He stood up disoriented by his new height and approached the mirror. The thick cum was wiped away with his tongue that found Luke’s baby batter tasted amazing. No wonder he had so many hookups coming and going. Ed had been missing out.

With the mirror cleaned out he could get a better look. And a what a nice delicious look it was. Hehe. “Luke” eyed himself up and down. This was definitely his hot roommate. And he now wore him exactly. He grabbed his phone and snapped a pic.

“What’s up world? It’s me Lucas Martin. But y’all can call me…” He said flexing into the mirror. “Luke. Hit me up for a good time.” Ed grinned cockily. This was an expression he couldn’t see his roommate doing but he found it suit him.

[genshin-impact-updates]

Xbox Player Recruitment: Genshin Impact Xbox Series X|S Test Player Recruitment Now Open

Genshin Impact is about to launch on Xbox, and we're launching the "Xbox Test" for Travelers to experience and provide feedback.

Sign up to participate now!

After joining the test server, complete certain testing tasks on the server for a chance to receive a certain amount of Primogems as a reward on the official server.

*Please note that this recruitment is only for Xbox players. Test participants must have an Xbox Series X|S device; otherwise, they will not be able to participate in the test.

How to Apply

Fill out the survey:

>>>Link<<<

Please read the survey carefully and fill it out accurately. If you are eligible for the test, we will notify you via the contact information provided in the survey.

Submission time

September 6, 2024 11:00 (UTC+8) – September 23, 2024 11:00 (UTC+8)

Estimated start time:

Early October

Device Requirements

Currently Supports

Xbox Series S

Xbox Series X

Confidentiality Notice for Test Content

This player recruitment for the test is focused on Xbox content, and most of the content is still in a state of adjustment.

Considering that leaks from the test server could lead to misunderstandings of the official version's content and negatively impact Travelers' experience with the official release, we thus require Travelers participating in the player database to keep the test content completely confidential and not disclose it in any form (including but not limited to screenshots, live streams, videos, etc.).

Therefore, Travelers who have the opportunity to participate in the test will need to sign a confidentiality agreement.

If it is confirmed that a tester has leaked information, they will be dealt with in accordance with the relevant clauses of the confidentiality agreement.

All content on the test server does not represent the quality of the final release. Please refer to the content of the official version for reference.

Notes

1. This test is only for Xbox, and eligibility is tied to the device used for the initial login. Switching to other devices is not allowed. If you change devices and trigger a ban, it will not be lifted. Account sharing or trading is strictly prohibited, and such actions will be considered a breach of the confidentiality agreement.

2. For important information regarding the test recruitment and relevant details, Travelers should rely on official channels such as HoYoLAB. Please refrain from trusting false information from unofficial sources.

3. All Travelers must fill out the information accurately. We will carefully verify the authenticity of the information provided. If there are discrepancies between the submitted information and the actual details, it may result in ineligibility for this test. If errors in the survey are due to personal reasons, we will consider it as a forfeiture of your test eligibility.

4. The test server does not support in-game purchases. After the current test period ends, all data will be deleted. Test eligibility is only valid for the current test and cannot be inherited, transferred, or sold.

5. Please ensure that you are 18 years old or older. Otherwise, you will not be eligible for the test, and we will not enter into a confidentiality agreement with you.

[tobiasdrake]

FUN FACT: Did you know Frieza had a finite amount of soldiers on Namek? (And he doesn't kill his troops.)

Also Appule is kind of important and there's a clearly marked place where Goku's six-day space journey happens in the timeline?

I have a laundry list of grievances with the Dragon Ball and DBZ animes. We're here to talk about one of those right now! The Z anime gives Frieza infinitely respawning soldiers that just seem to pour out of his ship whenever he needs them.

This interferes with a key plot point of Frieza's portion of the Namekian Dragon Ball hunt: That Frieza, for all his power, is rendered helpless when his attack on Moori's village goes south.

See these guys?

These guys ruin Frieza's entire goddamn week.

Get his ass, my Namekian thembruhs.

A consistent weakness of Frieza's forces is that they fight blind. By this point in the series, characters on Earth have been taught advanced fantasy martial arts involving manipulation of ki or chi. They can concentrate ki into attacks more powerful than the wielder, sense ki in other beings and feel incoming attacks without having to see them, suppress ki to become invisible to ki detection, etc. etc.

The Earthlings are goddamn amazing at ki manipulation, and the Namekians are just as good.

But Frieza's Planet Trade Organization represents the uncaring hand of capitalism. There is no artistry in their methods. There is no true discipline or understanding. They're a bunch of paid thugs with guns, looking to gentrify planets for their boss: a real estate mogul. So they rely on fallible technology that fails time and time again when put up against experienced martial artists.

The battle at Muri's village is no exception, as Frieza's forces get slaughtered by the "harmless" interlopers.

With only the elites vaguely understanding, from second-hand accounts, what they're seeing here.

Which, in turn, gives Muri the opening he needs to cripple Frieza's campaign by destroying the Scouters they're using to track down Namekian villages.

This is Muri's checkmate. Muri destroys the Scouters, the technology Frieza relies on to find Namekian villages on this planet and take their Dragon Balls. Meanwhile, his reinforcements wipe out Frieza's army.

That guy right is the only survivor of the massacre.

This is Appule. If you've ever wondered why Appule was so important that he got to be his own distinct character in Tenkaichi 3, this is why. Appule is the last grunt left standing.

Though Dodoria makes short work of the Namekian warriors, the damage is done. Frieza's lost his Scouters and he's out of manpower. He's going to have to fan his men out to search the planet, a planet larger than Earth, by looking around with their eyes. And the only men he has left to do that are Zarbon, Appule, and Dodo--

...are Zarbon and Appule.

So. Y'know. Frieza is two deaths short at this point of being completely and utterly fucked sideways.

As his two remaining men set out to search, Zarbon takes great care to tell Appule not to do anything that might get him killed.

It is absolutely pivotal for Frieza's campaign that these two live. There is no one else on this planet who can do the job. It's Appule who ultimately succeeds in finding the last Namekian village.

For some reason, in their eagerness to rewrite the story so that there are far more soldiers on Namek for some reason, the anime makes this Appule's vampire cousin?

Uh. Okay, man. Sure. In any case, it's Appule who finds the village and Appule who reports its destruction to Frieza. He's not a significant character by any stretch, but you can see why he warrants a bit more name recognition than Frieza Soldier #72. He has more impact on the plot that Cui does, that's for damn sure.

Too bad about Vegeta though.

It's a lot easier for Vegeta to get away with this gambit in the manga than it is in the anime. In the anime, somehow the infinitely respawning Frieza soldiers (who he regularly kills for funsies) flooding the halls don't give away the fact that Vegeta's still here.

But with Appule dead, Zarbon and Frieza are the only people left alive in the ship. It's a lot easier to distract two people for a minute than a limitless garrison.

In the manga, this is the closest Frieza ever gets to team-killing one of his own soldiers. Once he realizes Vegeta has stolen all five of his Dragon Balls, has a sixth Dragon Ball stashed away, and is now just one Dragon Ball away from immortality while Frieza's blind and understaffed? All because Zarbon fucked up?

He says some shit.

So. Yeah. He's not above killing his men when they fuck up so bad that they cost him immortality and give his most dangerous archnemesis the means to topple his empire and end him.

But that's a much higher bar to clear than shooting down his infinitely respawning dudes because, uh....

*checks notes* With the Ginyu Force on their way, Frieza can afford to kill his own guys because the Ginyus are better than them anyway. So he keeps them all in the ship and murders them for no reason despite the fact that Vegeta is actively making off with his Dragon Balls right this second and he has no idea to where.

Yeah. That's. Uh. That's a pretty significant story difference. In any case, Frieza's campaign grinds to a screeching halt when....

That's it. That is the very last one. Frieza's campaign is sunk. Until the Ginyu Force arrives, Frieza has no forces and no resources left. He is an unbelievably powerful man, the most powerful in the universe, and the only way he could ever hope to catch up to Vegeta is by flying aimlessly around a colossal planet and looking for Vegeta with his eyes.

I've often heard people express confusion about where Goku's six-day transit is supposed to fit into the Namekian timeline. This, right here? This is it. At this moment, it's over for Frieza. For the next five days, he is soundly defeated. He's out of the race for the Dragon Balls entirely.

And the only reason Vegeta hasn't won the race is because of that one Ball Gohan smuggled away from him.

So Frieza, defeated, is forced to sit in his broken ship with his thumb up his ass and wait for reinforcement.

Vegeta, with six Dragon Balls, is forced to sit on his balls with his thumb up his ass hoping the talented martial artist Earthlings currently suppressing their ki signatures get stupid and give him something to detect - knowing that if he leaves for a second, those little shits with the Dragon Radar might scoop 'em up from under him.

While Gohan and Krillin, with ki signatures suppressed, make the five-day trek at minimum power to Saichoro/Guru.

It's here. Right here. Where everything stops for five days to pass, and for Goku to approach the planet. All because Frieza ran dry on resources and manpower to keep up the hunt.

[pmamtraveller]

JAN DE BAEN - THE CORPSES OF THE DE WITT BROTHERS, 1675

In 1672, the major European powers united and launched an attack on the Dutch Republic, posing a danger of overwhelming the nation. This cost the De Witt brothers, Johan and Cornelis, their lives. De Baen's artwork illustrates their lifeless bodies suspended at the Groene Zoodje on the Vijverberg in The Hague. Johan de Witt served as the Pensionary (the actual leader) of Holland, the most influential province. He was killed by a carefully planned lynch "mob" following his visit to his brother Cornelis de Witt in jail. He was lured into this trap by a forged letter.

The aftermath of this interaction, captured in this artwork, is disturbing, to say the least. Stripped of their garments, the siblings were suspended upside down from a wooden beam. They were castrated and disemboweled. Protesters severed fingers, toes, tongues, and noses to trade as keepsakes. A man is thought to have twisted the neck of a stray cat, the carcass of which he inserted into the open cavity where Cornelis’ penis used to be. Every bruise, cut, and amputation was integrated into the artwork.

Witness accounts assert that Johan's body was displayed higher than that of his brother. The rioters did so because he held the most powerful office in the country, and this aspect was noted by de Baen as he envisioned his artwork. As the De Witts lost numerous distinguishing features, it becomes challenging to identify which of the two figures in "Corpses" is supposed to represent which brother. Thankfully, an inscription on the back of the canvas dispels much of the ambiguity:

These are the corpses of Johan and Cornelis de Witt, made by a prominent painter from life as they hung from the post at eleven o’clock in the evening. Cornelis is the one without a wig. Johan de Witt still has his own hair

The painter was, after all, not present at the lynching. Other draftsmen were, and their sketches appeared in newspapers that de Baen then cross referenced to construct his own version of the events. Despite his remoteness from the incident, his interpretation continues to be treated as a kind of hand-painted photograph: an honest, accurate, and reliable depiction of a historical event.